Jump to content

Yukiko Maki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yukiko Maki
A young Japanese woman, wearing a dark top with a white lace collar
Yuki Domoto, from the 1924 yearbook of Wellesley College
Born
Yukiko Domoto

1902
Oakland, California, US
DiedOctober 18, 1989
Japan
OccupationEducator

Yukiko Maki (1902 – October 18, 1989), born Yukiko Domoto, was a Japanese educator. In 1976 she was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class, for her work in international exchange.

Early life

[edit]

Yukiko Domoto was from Oakland, California, the daughter of Takanoshin {Frank} Domoto and Matsue (Uno) Domoto. Her uncles ran the Domoto Brothers Nursery in Oakland.[1][2] She spent some of her childhood in Japan, attended a preparatory school in New Jersey, and graduated from Wellesley College in 1924.[3] While a student, she participated in dance shows in Massachusetts and with the Japanese YWCA in Oakland; she designed costumes and directed some productions.[4][5]

Career

[edit]

Maki, widowed in 1941, taught English at Tsuda College from the 1940s until her retirement in 1972.[6] In the aftermath of World War II, she used her language skills to start the Japan-America Women's Club, for English-speaking Japanese women to meet with the wives of American occupation officials. She co-founded the American College Women’s Association of Japan, which created scholarships for Japanese women to study in the United States.[7] She was a program officer for the Fulbright Commission.[8][9] She accompanied Japanese women on exchange programs to the United States,[10] as vice-president of the Japan International Living Experience Association.[11]

In 1979, she became the first Japanese woman to receive the Wellesley Alumnae Achievement Award. In 1976 she was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class, for her work in international exchange.[6] In 1989, she spoke on "Education for Women in Japan" to a Wellesley College tour group in Japan.[12]

Personal life

[edit]

Yuki Domoto married diplomat Kaoru Maki in 1927 and lived in Washington, D.C. while he was based there; he died from tuberculosis in 1941. They had a son, Takashi. She married again, to Goichi Takeuchi, before 1958.[13] She died in 1989, aged 87 years.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "A Japanese Nurseryman's Life in California: Floriculture and Family, 1883-1992" California Horticulture Oral History Series, Bancroft Library.
  2. ^ "Domoto Nursery Largest in State". San Francisco Call. February 11, 1912. p. 22. Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  3. ^ Wellesley College, Legenda (1924 yearbook): 50.
  4. ^ "Ancient Dance of Japan to be Given at Entertainment". Oakland Tribune. 1922-08-20. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Chosen for Parts in Wellesley Tree Day". The Boston Globe. 1923-04-09. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Yukiko Domoto Maki ('24)". Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Awards 1979. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  7. ^ "Yukiko Domoto Maki ('24)". Wellesley College. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  8. ^ Frost, Betty (December 8, 1965). "Japanese Fulbright Officer Visits with Tiburon Family". San Rafael Daily Independent Journal. p. 49. Retrieved September 21, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  9. ^ "Fulbright Lecturer Guest of Gordons". The Newark Advocate. 1965-11-03. p. 28. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Japanese Guests Tour Arboretum". Arcadia Tribune. 1962-10-21. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Far East Women to Visit". The Times. 1974-10-23. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Yukiko Domato Maki (May 1989). 2 audiocassettes of speech "Education for Women in Japan" given to members of the Wellesley-in-Japan tour; Wellesley College Archives.
  13. ^ "Taki Domoto (funeral notice)". The San Francisco Examiner. 1958-05-27. p. 45. Retrieved 2021-09-22 – via Newspapers.com.